This invention relates generally to a chimney safety and control system for expelling deleterious byproducts of fires in a fireplace associated with a chimney, automatically reducing the risk of house (or other building) fires, and improving the drafting process in starting fires in the fireplace.
The escape of smoke and carcinogenic solids from a fireplace associated with a chimney into the house (or other building) has been a frequent problem associated with fireplaces and chimneys. Previously, chimneys have been provided with a damper which is opened when a fire is present in the fireplace and closed when the fireplace and chimney are not being used. These systems, however, leave the important task of opening and closing the chimney damper to the house occupant. If the occupant should start a fire when the damper is closed, the house will rapidly fill with smoke, causing significant annoyance and health hazards, and greatly increasing the possibility of a house fire. The occupant may also close the damper for the night after using the fireplace, thinking that the fire in the fireplace has burned itself out. However, unbeknownst to the occupant, embers in the fire may continue to smolder for some time, causing considerable smoke to enter the house. Occupants have no way of knowing of these problems until enough smoke has filled the house to either set off a smoke alarm or become noticeable to the occupants. Someone must then rush over and open the damper. If no one is present, there is no way to stop the continuous flow of smoke into the house.
Another problem with conventional chimneys and fireplaces is that the occupant can only determine the position of the damper by visual inspection. Therefore, if the damper is accidentally closed or closes by itself before or after a fire was started in the fireplace, the occupant has no way of knowing of this problem other than by visually inspecting the damper itself. Conversely, if the damper has been left open when the fireplace is not in use, undesirable cold air may enter the house.
Yet another problem with previous chimneys is that a cold head of air often settles in the flue-liner cavity and throat area, making fires difficult to start. These chimneys have no means for assisting the draft process when it is unable to take place under such conditions.
It would be therefore be desirable to provide a system which protects house occupants from life-threatening smoke and carcinogenic solids generated by fires in a fireplace associated with a chimney.
It would also be desirable to provide a system which automatically reduces the risk of accidental house fires caused by fires in a fireplace associated with a chimney.
It would further be desirable to provide a system which sounds an alarm or provides a visual indication when a dangerous condition occurs in the fireplace or chimney increasing the possibility of a house fire.
It would be still further desirable to provide a system which improves the draft process in starting a fire in a fireplace associated with a chimney.
It would be even further desirable to provide a system which prevents smoke from fires in a fireplace associated with a chimney from infiltrating adjacent room areas of a house, thereby eliminating smoke odor and soot.